Restaurant Review: Seasons 52 in Atlanta, Georgia

During a recent trip to visit with our Atlanta, we stumbled upon a new gem in Atlanta's already excellent dining scene. We had rooms at the W hotel at Perimeter Mall. We exited the lobby and asked for a recommendation from the valet attendant. He had been helpful all week, so when he said check out the new place right across the parking lot, we let that help us make our decision. The weather was rainy, so not having to drive around too far made the choice that much more enticing.

We entered the restaurant that had a very Asian inspired feel to it. There was a nice seating area with leather chairs just off of the hostess station and as we entered just after brunch the large restaurant was already half full. The restaurant is casual and elegant all at once. There were six people in our party so we were seated in a large booth in the bar area. There was gentleman playing jazz standards and singing classic tunes throughout the afternoon.

Our server was Jason, and he was very knowledgeable about the menu offerings. We started off our meal with a bottle of Bernkasteler Badstube 2002 Riesling. It had a light and fruity taste that everyone enjoyed. We all commented on how much it tasted like different tropical fruits more than wine. Wines were stacked in two different locations in the restaurant. We later found out that this wine is exclusive to the Seasons 52 restaurants. This made it even more impressive.

We moved right into our meal choices with Jason's recommendations and suggestions. Seasons 52 prides itself on making sure that everything is as fresh as possible and that everything is as healthy as possible. Nothing on the menu is fried. Many of the vegetables for the dishes are grown locally. Jason mentioned that one of the seafood offerings from the previous month had to be flown in daily via private planes. We chose a jumbo stuffed shrimp and lump crab pasta dish, a shrimp fusilloni pomodoro with fresh vegetables and two versions of the cedar plank salmon. Mykeon had the traditional version, while I had a lower calorie version that was hand rubbed Joe's special seasonings. (Joe was the founder of the restaurant chain.) All of the dishes were excellent and the presentation was delightful. We had carrot that had the husk peeled back, but still attached, carrots that still had green leaves attached to the tops and fresh fruit that had been sliced and grilled along with our fish and placed on the cedar planks. The portions initially seemed small, but towards the end of our meal we were all completely satisfied and we had just enough room for desserts.

Dessert is where Seasons 52 really impressed us. Instead of huge slices of pie and cake, at Seasons 52 traditional desserts are presented in a small square glass that resembles something that you could use for tequila shots. They are called mini indulgences and I believe that we tried all of them that day. They offer key lime pie, cheesecake, carrot cake, red velvet cake, rocky road, tiramusu, etc. and a chef's wild card mini of fresh fruit.

Each and every bite was heaven and we all left with smiles.

On the website for Seasons 52, they pronounce that they offer "a warm and welcoming adult atmosphere you'll want to return to often. Come enjoy the pleasures of outstanding food expertly prepared, great wines and the company of good friends." We totally agree, management and staff are exemplary, and we highly recommend it.

For more information on Seasons 52 visit them on the web at www.seasons52.com